Ellis Waterhouse
Encyclopedia
Sir Ellis Kirkham Waterhouse (16 February 1905 — 7 September 1985) was an English art historian specialized in Roman baroque and English painting. He was Director of the National Galleries of Scotland
(1949–52) and held the Barber chair at Birmingham University until his official retirement in 1970.
Waterhouse was the son of the architect Percy Leslie Waterhouse, through whom he possessed the means to pursue a largely independent career. His fellow student at Marlborough College
was Anthony Blunt
, with whom he continued a lifelong professional friendship; he went on to New College, Oxford
. In 1927-29 he studied at Princeton University with Frank Jewett Mather
and received a fellowship to study El Greco
in Spain. He returned to London to take up an Assistant Keeper's post at the National Gallery, London
, under its Keepers, C. H. Collins Baker and H. Isherwood Kay.
He then joined the British School in Rome as librarian until 1936, working on the combination of connoissurship and archival material that resulted in Roman Baroque Painting (1937), on the strength of which he was elected a Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford
(1938–1947) and prepared the catalog for a Royal Academy
exhibition, 17th-Century Art in Europe.
World War II found him in Athens, where he rose to the rank of major, eventually with the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives branch of the Allied Military; his colonel was Geoffrey Webb
. At the liberation of Holland, he detected a recently-acquired Vermeer at the Rijksmuseum and led ultimately to the exposure of the forger Han van Meegeren
.
After the war Waterhouse briefly served as editor to The Burlington Magazine
where he was soon succeeded by Benedict Nicolson
and began his academic career: Manchester University, 1947–48; Director of the National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh (1949–52); Barber Professor of Fine Art, Birmingham University and director of its Barber Institute of Fine Arts
(1952–70): Slade professor at Oxford University (1953–55). Nikolaus Pevsner
asked him to write a volume for the projected Pelican History of Art
; his Painting in Britain, 1530-1790 was its first volume.
Waterhouse married Helen Thomas, an archaeologist of ancient Greece whom he had met during the war in Athens, where she was connected with the British School of Archaeology
in 1949; they had two daughters. He died suddenly of a heart attack in 1985. His unusually extensive personal library and annotated photograph collection were sold to help in the initial formation of the Getty Research Institute
, Los Angeles.
National Galleries of Scotland
The National Galleries of Scotland are the five national galleries of Scotland and two partner galleries. It is one of the country's National Collections.-List of national galleries:* The National Gallery of Scotland* The Royal Scottish Academy Building...
(1949–52) and held the Barber chair at Birmingham University until his official retirement in 1970.
Waterhouse was the son of the architect Percy Leslie Waterhouse, through whom he possessed the means to pursue a largely independent career. His fellow student at Marlborough College
Marlborough College
Marlborough College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils, located in Marlborough, Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. Currently there are just over 800...
was Anthony Blunt
Anthony Blunt
Anthony Frederick Blunt , was a British art historian who was exposed as a Soviet spy late in his life.Blunt was Professor of the History of Art at the University of London, director of the Courtauld Institute of Art, Surveyor of the King's Pictures and London...
, with whom he continued a lifelong professional friendship; he went on to New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
. In 1927-29 he studied at Princeton University with Frank Jewett Mather
Frank Jewett Mather
Frank Jewett Mather was an American art critic and professor.He was born at Deep River, Conn., and graduated from Williams College in 1889 and from Johns Hopkins in 1892: he studied also at Berlin and at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes, Paris...
and received a fellowship to study El Greco
El Greco
El Greco was a painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El Greco" was a nickname, a reference to his ethnic Greek origin, and the artist normally signed his paintings with his full birth name in Greek letters, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος .El Greco was born on Crete, which was at...
in Spain. He returned to London to take up an Assistant Keeper's post at the National Gallery, London
National Gallery, London
The National Gallery is an art museum on Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The gallery is an exempt charity, and a non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media...
, under its Keepers, C. H. Collins Baker and H. Isherwood Kay.
He then joined the British School in Rome as librarian until 1936, working on the combination of connoissurship and archival material that resulted in Roman Baroque Painting (1937), on the strength of which he was elected a Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
(1938–1947) and prepared the catalog for a Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
exhibition, 17th-Century Art in Europe.
World War II found him in Athens, where he rose to the rank of major, eventually with the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives branch of the Allied Military; his colonel was Geoffrey Webb
Geoffrey Webb
Geoffrey Fairbank Webb was a British art historian, Slade Professor of Fine Art and head of the Monuments and Fine Arts section of the Control Commission during World War II....
. At the liberation of Holland, he detected a recently-acquired Vermeer at the Rijksmuseum and led ultimately to the exposure of the forger Han van Meegeren
Han van Meegeren
Han van Meegeren , born Henricus Antonius van Meegeren, was a Dutch painter and portraitist, and is considered to be one of the most ingenious art forgers of the 20th century....
.
After the war Waterhouse briefly served as editor to The Burlington Magazine
The Burlington Magazine
The Burlington Magazine is a monthly academic journal that covers the fine and decorative arts. It is the longest running art journal in the English language and it is a charitable organisation since 1986. It was established in 1903 by a group of art historians and connoisseurs which included Roger...
where he was soon succeeded by Benedict Nicolson
Benedict Nicolson
Benedict Nicolson, MVO was a British art historian and author.Nicolson was the elder son of authors Harold Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West and the brother of writer and politician Nigel...
and began his academic career: Manchester University, 1947–48; Director of the National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh (1949–52); Barber Professor of Fine Art, Birmingham University and director of its Barber Institute of Fine Arts
Barber Institute of Fine Arts
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts is an art gallery and concert hall in Birmingham, England. It is situated in purpose-built premises on the campus of the University of Birmingham....
(1952–70): Slade professor at Oxford University (1953–55). Nikolaus Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
asked him to write a volume for the projected Pelican History of Art
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
; his Painting in Britain, 1530-1790 was its first volume.
Waterhouse married Helen Thomas, an archaeologist of ancient Greece whom he had met during the war in Athens, where she was connected with the British School of Archaeology
British School at Athens
The British School at Athens is one of the 17 Foreign Archaeological Institutes in Athens, Greece.-General information:The School was founded in 1886 as the fourth such institution in Greece...
in 1949; they had two daughters. He died suddenly of a heart attack in 1985. His unusually extensive personal library and annotated photograph collection were sold to help in the initial formation of the Getty Research Institute
Getty Research Institute
The Getty Research Institute , located at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, California, is "dedicated to furthering knowledge and advancing understanding of the visual arts". A program of the J...
, Los Angeles.
Selected publications
Much of Waterhouse's wide-ranging information is buried in brief articles, often in obscure publications. He edited The Dictionary of 16th & 17th century British Painters 1988 and The Dictionary of British 18th Century Painters in Oils and Crayons 1981; only his major books are listed here.- Baroque Painting in Rome: the Seventeenth Century. (London: Macmillan) 1937;
- Reynolds. (London) 1941;
- Titian's Diana and Actaeon. (Oxford University Press) 1952;
- Painting in Britain, 1530-1790. (in series Pelican History of Art) (Baltimore: Penguin, then Yale University Press) 1953, rev. ed 1978; Michael Kitson contributed an introduction and brief sketch of Waterhouse's career to the 5th edition, 1994.
- Italian Baroque Painting. (New York: Phaidon/New York Graphic Society,) 1963;
- Three Decades of British Art, 1740-1770 (The Jayne Lectures for 1964) (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society) 1965;
- Roman Baroque Painting: a List of the Principal Painters and their Works In and Around Rome. Oxford: Phaidon, 1976.
External links
- Dictionary of Art Historians: Sir Ellis K. Waterhouse Full entry; summary of his stature; lists obituaries.
- (Getty Research Institute) Inventory of the Ellis Kirkham Waterhouse notebooks and research files Bibliography